Kyle Larson looks for another winning afternoon in Watkins Glen. (Photo: Sam Draiss | The Podium Finish)
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – If Saturday’s Xfinity race was a harbinger for Kyle Larson’s chances in Sunday’s Go Bowling at the Glen (3 p.m. ET on USA), it’s possibly bad news for the competition at Watkins Glen International.
In a rare NASCAR Xfinity Series start for JR Motorsports, Larson capitalized when the seas parted ahead of the tricky Bus Stop segment of the 2.45-mile road course.
Of course, the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion aimed for a one-two finish with his corporate teammate, William Byron, in the mix for a win before tangling with Ty Gibbs in the final laps.
“My kind of goal for the race was just have one of us to win,” Larson recalled. “I was going to try and help William as much as I could and tried to lag back on the start and get a good run to push him and hopefully get him enough momentum to maybe clear and one. But they ended up being side by side. And that was kind of best case scenario for me.”
Once Byron and Gibbs tangled, Larson went from settling with a podium finish to fending off one of the best road course racers in NASCAR.
Even Dale Earnhardt Jr. was thrilled about Larson’s winning afternoon. (Photo: Sam Draiss | The Podium Finish)
“He almost got clear and Ty (Gibbs), fighting to hold on lead, really drove in deep. I haven’t seen a replay but I imagined his angles were just messed up and a bit out of control and probably got into William and they both spun,” he said. “So I knew, me not being as fast as those two, my only opportunity was going to be if they got racing. Selfishly, it worked out great for me.
“You would have liked to see us, all three, get to race for more than just a quarter of a lap there. But anyways, I got to the lead there and just had to try and not make any big mistakes to let AJ (Allmendinger) get a run on me.”
As for his usual Cup ride, the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, Larson likes his chances as the defending Go Bowling at the Glen race winner.
In trademark Larson fashion, he gave an honest assessment of his most recent races, admitting some surprise with his strong points standings position.
Larson has another fast Camaro for Sunday’s race. (Photo: Sam Draiss | The Podium Finish)
“Yeah, it’s surprising that we are third and almost close to second just because I feel like we haven’t finished that well,” he said. “But I think a lot of people haven’t aside from Chase (Elliott) there. So that’s our goal to get to second after next week. We’ve got a great car, hopefully get some stage points and getting a win would be great.”
Typically, double duty efforts yields some learning experiences for a driver like Larson. Although he observed how starkly different the cars took to the track, he acknowledged the benefit of extra seat time.
“I feel like at Road America, the Xfinity car and the Cup car drove a lot more similar. The braking points were a lot more similar,” he illustrated. “And today, it wasn’t, so I don’t know exactly like what I learned.
“I’m sure something will stand out once I get racing tomorrow. But I do think it helped Cup practice out today.”
On the surface, Larson’s weekend seems to be off to a strong start with his results coinciding with each other in his cars. Saturday’s Xfinity race showcased that he can still get the job done in a stock car.
Now, another winning opportunity awaits Larson and crew chief Cliff Daniels.
Like his idol and Hendrick Motorsports Vice Chairman, Jeff Gordon, once said, “There’s nothing like confidence and believing in our minds.”
Even champions continually learn like students who returned to school. (Photo: Sam Draiss | The Podium Finish)
“I think I was able to get up to speed a lot quicker in the Cup car just having the laps behind the wheel of something,” Larson shared. “So yeah, that was a success. We were almost able to get the pole there.
“And my car in the Cup Series felt really, really good. So I’m excited. And hopefully we can get a win.”
Editor’s Notes
Nathan Solomon contributed to this feature from Watkins Glen International in Watkins Glen, New York.
